Bendites can help Japan’s Earthquake victims by simpling raising a fork at Common Table this Sunday. The downtown restaurant/non-profit is hosting a fundraiser dinner featuring Japanese cuisine prepared by local Japanese women.
Food & Drink
Posted inNews
Former Ernesto's Spot to Reopen As Pub and Brew Shop
Owners of the Brew Shop have signed a lease to move into the former Ernesto’s spot on Third Street.
The owners of The Brew Shop, aka the homebrew shop on Division, have signed a lease for the iconic Ernesto’s building on Third Street. Owner Tom Gilles said he and his partners signed a lease earlier this week that will allow them to open an expanded brew shop and basement pub in the Ernesto’s building by early summer, depending on how their city permitting process goes.
Gilles said the space needs some minor remodeling to suit their needs, but is largely ready to go. The building will allow the Brew Shop to add to its existing inventory, upping the shop’s supply of grains and other accessories that Bend’s growing homebrew community desires. The Brew Shop will also be bringing over its walk-in cooler and expansive collection of bottled microbrews that Bend beer lovers know is unrivaled among Central Oregon suds purveyors. Gilles said the additional space would only add to the dizzying array of ales and lagers at the Brew Shop.
Most interestingly, the new digs will allow Gilles and his partners, all of whom have retired from the Bend post office, to expand into the restaurant and pub business by reincarnating the former Ernesto’s lounge as a downstairs pub. Gilles said the partnership would likely expand the existing bar, a holdover from Ernesto’s, from six handles to something on the order of 15 beers.
Posted inNews
Hola! Sunriver is Open
Hola! opens a new Sunriver location.
It was a Monday night, but that didn’t stop busloads of Bendites were shuttled down to join Sunriver snowbirds to open the latest Hola! location in the space formerly occupied by Trout House. Fans of the Eastside and Old Mill locations arrived in droves thanks to co-owner Marcos Rodriguez's Facebook post.
Posted inFood & Drink
Hail Caesar! In search of Central Oregon's best Caesar salad
My quest for the best Caesar salad in Bend began on a whim. I have always loved Caesars, but ordering one in an unfamiliar restaurant is like stopping at a random truck stop for a burger: Probably not a good idea, but you could discover a gem.
Posted inFood & Drink
No Translation Necessary: Boken proves that Bend knows its Japanese bar food
Michael Murphy's take on a Japanese “Izakaya” restaurant isn't what you'd expect from a chef who is collaborating with Justin Cook, the owner of Bend's popular westside sushi house Kanpai. Murphy and Cook opened Boken last month in the former home of The Downtowner just off Mirror Pond Plaza.
Posted inFood & Drink
Hail Caesar! In search of Central Oregon's best Caesar salad
My quest for the best Caesar salad in Bend began on a whim. I have always loved Caesars, but ordering one in an unfamiliar restaurant is like stopping at a random truck stop for a burger: Probably not a good idea, but you could discover a gem. Now there are great Caesars (think crisp romaine lettuce, lemony dressing with the slightest hint of anchovy and crunchy sourdough croutons), but also really bad ones (think huge pieces of rusty-edge iceberg lettuce, thick, goopy dressing and croutons that may leave you with one less molar). Unfortunately, because of this salad's surge in popularity, even the word Caesar is slightly nebulous. After ordering several mediocre Caesar salads (twice at the same restaurant because I had forgotten that I had already tried it), I decided to keep a log of my Caesar experiences. I developed a rating system that took into account several variables, such as whether or not the restaurant uses raw egg, whether the salad incorporates the controversial anchovy, the quality of the croutons and, most importantly, the authenticity of the dressing.
Posted inFood & Drink
Little Bites: Sample Platter – Los Agaves, Bond Street Grill and Boken
Los Agaves
A new amigo on the block, Los Agaves Mexican Grill in downtown Sisters has ignited the area's restaurant scene with an inventive take on familiar, south-of-the-border fare. Sporting the flowering green agave plant on their signs and menus, the famous herb from which tequila is derived, owner and head chef Jimmy Fernandez welcomes old friends and customers with his trademark grin and hospitality.
A quick glance at the lunch menu showed ten items priced between $6 and $7 and choices from Carnitas De Puerco, Chorizo Con Huevos, Quesadillas De Pollo or Tacos De Pescado with fresh Mahi fish. All lunches include two side orders and homemade chips with family recipe salsa.
Agaves also offers a daily happy hour, Mon – Fri, that runs from 2-6pm with small plates, including Jimmy's special nachos for just $4.
Posted inFood & Drink
A New Moon
A departure from the brew news and reviews this week to offer a congratulations to Silver Moon founder Tyler Reichert who along with his wife, Renee, celebrated the birth of their first child this past week. Reichert, who started Silver Moon as a home brew shop and tasting room off Division Street a decade ago, is the father of a bouncing baby girl, who as of our press deadline was still without a formal.
Posted inNews
Beer and Chocolate tonight at Deschutes Brewery
People like chocolate. And people, especially in Central Oregon, like beer. Tonight, the two come together at Bend’s most venerable brewery, Deschutes, for a five course feast, each course featuring – surprise, surprise – chocolate, paired with a Deschutes Brewery beer. Tickets are $70 and can be purchased here. I’ll be covering the event and expect to have to be rolled out of the Deschutes Brewery Mountain Room on a keg trolley. It’s gonna be a good night.
Below is tonight’s menu:
Posted inFood & Drink
No Translation Necessary: Boken proves that Bend knows its Japanese bar food
Michael Murphy's take on a Japanese “Izakaya” restaurant isn't what you'd expect from a chef who is collaborating with Justin Cook, the owner of Bend's popular westside sushi house Kanpai. Murphy and Cook opened Boken last month in the former home of The Downtowner just off Mirror Pond Plaza. As you might expect, the execution is spot-on, the cocktails are well executed and the ingredients are incredibly fresh. But Boken's menu veers far from what most diners have come to think of as Japanese food.
Instead of sushi and tempura vegetables, Boken serves small yet substantial plates of exotic fare. And instead of a cocktail list heavy on sweet drinks like Mai Tais, Boken's bar leans heavily on select sakes and whiskeys – the latter of which has become an art-form in Japan, rivaling even Scotland. The menu and spirit list features items near and dear to my heart, like house-made kimchee, pork belly and a plethora of whiskeys, giving me high hopes.
